Through it All
by underthesun.88
Summary: Response to challenge by L0VEisREALx3


**Through it All**

A NILEY story by beforethestorm.88

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of characters mentioned, Disney does. I also don't own Titanic; it's the brainchild of James Cameron.

SUMMARY: Miley and Nick have a falling out. A storm crashes through Los Angeles. Will they make up or watch their futures dissolve in the storm?

MILEY POV

The candlelight made shadows flicker across the wall, giving the room a warm, cozy feeling. Miley jumped as the lightning and thunder rolled over her home. She looked out the window and watched as the ocean angrily churned its waters, the winds lashed against her home and tears, tears fell down her face. She stumbled towards a mirror and examined her reflection, "You look like shit." She told herself, noticing that her normally vivid blue eyes were the same stormy gray colour as the ocean. Miley sighed as she glimpsed at her watch for what seemed like the thousandth time. Out of habit, she grabbed her cell phone to see if there were any missed calls, knowing full well that there weren't. The bottle of wine was unopened, a sad reminder that _he_ wasn't coming. She had prepared everything perfectly, to the best of her abilities; she had made him a fabulous birthday dinner, a fabulous _21__st_ birthday dinner no less. Miley wasn't known for her cooking skills, but this time she went out of her way to follow every _fucking_ instruction. She made various appetizers, an entrée dish consisting of roasted salmon, brown rice and honey glazed carrots, and finally, a light angel food cake for dessert. She even wore the blue dress that he had bought for her months ago as an early present for her 21st birthday. It was all irrelevant though, she mused as she began to clear the plates. Once again, it was her fault that things weren't right: because Miley couldn't stop acting and lying. The camera was one thing, but this was her boyfriend. _He_ was not that stupid, then again, when was he ever? And more appropriately, where the _fuck_ did she get off lying like that to him for months? This was Nick, the one person in Hollywood who would take her shit daily and still love her, still be loyal to her, even when she screwed up. Mentally wincing, Miley knew that this time she had gone too far. And even though she called his cell phone at least 20 times apologizing, he didn't answer, because there are some lines that should never be crossed.

FLASHBACK- EARLIER THAT DAY

MILEY POV

"What the _fuck _do you mean that you hooked up with Liam?" Demi roared as Miley delivered the horrible news. "It wasn't like I wanted to hurt Nick." Miley snapped at her best friend. "Of course, you never _mean_ to hurt him but you do. How many more times can you break his heart?" Demi yelled back. A sickening slap echoed across the room as Miley's hand connected with Demi's cheek. "Fuck! I'm so sorry," Miley apologized "I just lost it, Dem. You know I would never purposely hit you. Please forgive me." Miley implored, her head lowered in shame. Suddenly she heard giggling and whipping her head up she saw Demi laughing on her bed, holding her cool metal laptop to her cheek to numb the pain. "I'm sorry," Demi began as the laughter subsided "this just reminds me of my little moment a few years ago when I slapped that back-up dancer for spreading shit about Joe and me." Miley smirked as she recalled the memory, and the repressions that followed, it seemed so long ago that things were _that_ dramatic. "When did the Liam thing happen?" Demi's voice questioned, snapping Miley back to reality. She exhaled the breath that she was holding in, "It was this past spring when Nick was in London doing Les Mis. I missed him and I was all alone, preparing for my final tour. It didn't matter that we could talk every day on video chat or text each other, it just wasn't the same. Anyway, one day I was out for a run and I met Liam along the way. We casually chatted and he walked me home. I invited him inside for a drink, and one thing led to another, and we had sex." Demi sadly nodded, "You have to tell him, today. Birthday or not, he deserves to know." The girls didn't say anything to each other for a while until Miley finally sat up, brushed off her clothes and walked towards the door. "Where are you going?" Demi asked. "I have to tell him. If the situation was reversed, I'd want him to tell me. He's _Prince Charming_, and I'm hoping that he'll understand my mistake and forgive me. I've heard love makes you do crazy things, so let's hope that sympathizing with a mess like me is high on that list." Miley grinned half-heartedly as she walked out the door, leaving Demi behind.

NICK POV

Nick was convinced that he world was falling apart. He thought that the four horsemen of the apocalypse were outside his bedroom right now. Averting his eyes from the girl in front of him, he glanced at Elvis who blinked up at him and realized that this was easily the worst birthday of his life. Miley, _his Miley_, had cheated on him, with that asshole Liam. Liam, the Australian man whore, who treated her like shit; Liam who didn't know all of her secrets and the lies that she told to herself and to those around her. Nick struggled to control the anger that was flaring inside him, he willed himself to calm down and to avoid doing something that he might be sorry for later. "How could you?" he whispered. Miley's eyes clouded over as she relayed the story of how she felt alone and abandoned when he was in London. Nick's heart broke into pieces as she finished her story and his mind started playing a gruesome movie of the two of them together. "Don't ask me for forgiveness Miley," he ordered as she opened her mouth to speak again "you've gone too far this time. And you tell me this today, on my birthday, months after it happened. You expect me to just believe that what we had the last few months was real? It was all a lie, an act; something that you're so good at it astounds me. If you don't win an Oscar before you're 30, I'll be _fucking_ amazed." She winced as his words washed over her, like he had physically hit her. In that moment, his gaze softened, and just for a moment, he felt like forgiving her. His gaze became steely once again as that mental horror movie ran through his head. "I'm truly sorry Nick," Miley whispered, "I know it is terrible timing, but you had to know. Please find it in your heart to forgive me. I love you, and you love me, even the parts that you hate. I'm making you a special birthday dinner at my place tonight, if you feel like coming, my door is open." She rose off of the chair and quietly left the room, tears silently running down her cheeks.

END OF FLASHBACK

NICK POV

A thunderstorm crashed across Los Angeles as Nick walked downstairs to the kitchen, looking for his blood sugar monitor, and possibly a glass of orange juice if need be. He jumped slightly as a flash of lightning lit up the darkened room. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a heart shaped balloon, and a wrapped gift lying beside it. Knowing that it could only be from Miley, he reluctantly went to go open it, flicking on a light switch as he walked towards the present. The gift was rather light he thought as he ripped apart the wrapping paper emblazed with musical notes. Lightning crashed once more and the lights briefly flickered, Nick glared up at them and willed them to stay lit, if only for a moment. The final piece of wrapping paper fell off and Nick gasped. Miley had framed his favourite picture of the two of them in a beautiful silver frame. The pair was sitting at the beach at sunset one day last summer and Miley's dad had caught a candid photo of the two of them sharing an ice cream, with Miley lovingly looking at Nick. Nick marvelled the intricate details on the frame, ranging from roses, to hearts, to a small caption at the bottom of the frame: "Together, Forever." In that moment he knew what he had to do, running towards the front door, grabbing his keys as he went. "Fuck this weather." He muttered to himself as he jumped into his car, throwing the keys into the ignition. After trying multiple times to get his car working, he finally came to the awful realization: his car wouldn't start. He couldn't believe his luck; it was just too _ridiculous_ to comprehend. Frowning, he grabbed his phone and called Joe to borrow his car. He ignored all of the missed calls from Miley, hoping that he would be able to talk to her face-to-face soon and sort this entire mess out. She screwed up, that was evident, he thought. But this was Miley, the only girl Nick had ever loved. And because of this love would he forgive her; she was absolutely correct in saying that loving someone means loving even the parts that you hate, it comes with the package. After all, he knew that his life was nothing when she wasn't in it: it was as though someone removed all the colours from the world and forced him to live in black and white. The minutes ticked by and finally, Nick saw Joe's headlights coming up his driveway. Jumping out of the car Joe threw the keys at Nick and ran inside to get out of the pouring rain, "I'm eating _all _of your food, little brother. You owe me for this." Joe called over his shoulder. Nick didn't even bother to offer a retort as he turned the car on and raced down the stormy streets of Los Angeles.

MILEY POV

Miley reached across the table and grabbed the ice cream container. If she was going to be a fuck up, she was going to do it properly. Her eyes glistened with tears as she watched Jack and Rose stand together on the edge of the _Titanic_, "flying" in the wind. "Why can't love really be like that?" she asked no one in particular. "You seriously want love to be like being stuck on a doomed ocean liner for only a few days with your soul mate and then see him half die in the frigid Atlantic waters?" a voice questioned behind her. Whipping around, she was pretty sure that she just experienced whiplash, but it didn't matter, because _he _was there. "Nick!" she screamed as she jumped in his arms. "I'm so sorry! I can't believe I was so stupid! I should've taken a break from rehearsals and flown out to see you." She wailed as she coated his shirt with salty tears. Nick silently rocked her back and forth. After she slightly calmed down, he released her and whispered, "I know you're sorry. We'll work things out, because I love you, and I don't want to lose you." She nodded and looked up at him, "Would you like some birthday dinner? It's a bit cold, so I'll warm it up for you, if you'd like." Nick nodded and went to turn off the television and set the table. As Miley was placing the food in the microwave, she noticed that the storm had passed, and the water and the winds had calmed down, things were peaceful once more. Nick wrapped his arms around her, and she felt completely at peace with herself and the world, and silently promised herself that she would quit _acting_, at least around her loved ones. The sound of the ocean played over and over in her mind until nothing felt real anymore.


End file.
